Folding draft or blower plate



LLOYD HDPKLNS ND MCKINNEY HOPKINS. FOLDING DRAFT OR BLOWER PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAII. 2s. 1922.

1,430,013. Patentedsept. 26,1922. I

atto'z nu; v

Patented Sept. 26, 19221.

LLOYD HOPKINS AND-MCKINNEY HOPKINS, OFWYC'O, wrsrvinemm.

` FOLDING DRAFT' on BLOWR PLATE;

Applicationld March" 28, 1922. `Serial-Iam 547,485.

To allan/wm 'it mayr concern.' p y Be it known that we, LLOYD HOPKINSsa-nd MOKINNEY HOPKINS, citizens ofy the-y United States, residing at Wyco, in the countyio'f Wyoming and' State of -West Virginia,:ha've invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Drafts or Blower Plates,v of Awhich the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to afolding draft or blower plate.

The object of the presentinvention is to improve the construction of kdraft plates? Or blowers andtoprovi'de a simple, practical and efficient draft plate or blower ofstrong and durable construction adapted :to :be readily applied to anopen fireplace orzan analogous stove structure` and equipped Awith. means for causing iit ',to. close) tightly aga-inst'thefront framel ofthe 'fire place to produce an eiiicientl draft.

A "furtherobject of the invention is .to providea folding draftkorblower ofthis character adapted to be readily foldedrand arranged in anelevatedy position out ofthe -wayvand provided withffmeans adaptedfto counterbalance Vthe folding'fdraft platefor blowerfand. also tof'cause'fthensame to shift its positionvand moveoutwardlyA at the bottom :when foldedl upwardly, whereby ity will securely `maintain-itselfin such folded position. a

,With these and *other4v objects in`- view .the invention consists in the ,construction and novel combination and arrangement of: parts hereinafter fully described, illustratedr in the. accompanyingv .drawing andpointe'd-.f' out in the claims hereto'appended, itfbeingfn-nderstood that various changes in` the forni, proportion and 1 minor details ,i of construetionywithinl the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without `departing :from .the spirit i :or sacrificingr any f ,of the advantages ofthefinvention. p l y -Inthe drawing, in which like characters of reference Vdesignate 4corresponding parts infthe several'views'- y Figure l isa'frontelevationof a'vfolding .draft plate or blower, constructed in accord- :ance with this invention and shown'close'd. 'Figure 2is'a verticaly sectional viewof the same. u p

Figure 3is a similar view,the draft' late or blower being shown foldedl in fullines "andi extended horizontally in.` vdotted" lines.

Figure-4, -is a detail. perspective view of-acombined counterbalancing: and shifting bar or; member. l

Figure f5 fis'ra' -detail view of'` one ofi the clamps. i l

In the :accompanying drawing, in which is: illustrated ff the preferred embodiment of theiinvention, l` and 2 designateupper and lowerihingedj'sections of -a folding'draft plate Or. blower. The sections, which may be constructedk of any,` suitable material, are adapted f` to be conveniently i made of sheet metal; reinforced at the marginal edges, as shown. lower'sectionis connected' by suitable hinges 3, issuspendedv and hinged :at they top of the front iframe f4@ o'f. the -fender f5" by meansl of hingel elements, each consistingy of a`4 clamp 6; zEach ,clamp wconsistsof any approximatelylU-shaped body/portion forming a recess `7 fto yreceive the v -loweredge of the top. porti'onS of: the`v frames: and `provided `with affront inclined extension 8 and havin a clamping screw The fULShape'd body portion forms fixed frontand rear-jaws of the clamp;A andthe clamping screw'r 9, which isrmounted in`- a threadedopenin-g l0 in the reanjaws, adapted to cla-'mpi thev top'8 of the frame .aat the linner face thereof, whereby the clamp Aisse'curely fastened inI position at the top 7 yoffjthee said frame '4. v'The frame 4 is: rectangular and`- the clamps-r eare located .at ioppositeasides"thereof and fit against the .The iupper section, to which the sideportionsofithesaid-frame't. Thein'- cline'd extensions 8,:which1projectupwardly and soutwardly,M are provided kwith inclined bearingsslots ll-L which operates `an upper pintleroidl1-2 ofi th'ef topfV section or Amembery of theifolding plate-'or blower. `The man -ginalfi-einforcing rod 13' constitutes' the pin tle 12 Lan'dfitds provided at one end of` the section-'1,1 near the lowerl edge thereof, with allaterallyextending grip or handle 114 arranged. in convenient` position tol enable) the folding plate Ori blower to beI readily swung zuipwardlyo'r downwardly to open `or close the'device, as required'. f y

The .npperlsectionlis equipped adjacent toits upper edge `withv a combined counter* balancingan'd,shifting bar or memberfl eX- tend-ing `across the space between? the clamps ing' plate orblower.r` -The bar or member' 15 is providedat itsf ends with-lugsorfiianges I6 andfitting snuglyl between the same and ilo 17 arranged at right angles to the bar or member 15 and having beveled lower portions 18 and provided at their upper portions with recesses 19 arranged contiguous to and fitting the pintle 12. The counterbalancing bar or member projects outwardly and upwardly at the pintlev12 of the `upper,

section and when the folding plate or blower is swung upwardly from its closed position to fold the same at the top of the frame 4, the projecting counterbalancing and shifting bar or member' 15 is carried into contact with the top vof the frame 4 and thereby causes the hinged portion of the upper section 1 to move outwardly and upwardly along the inclined slots 11 of the extensions 8 of the clamps. ,The section 1 of the folding plate or blower is .inverted when it is swung upwardly in the position illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing and the outwardly shifting of the hinged portion arranges the folded plate or blower with the center of gravity within the point of support so that the said folded plateor blower will remain in its. folded position'until it is desired to unfold the same for use. In folding the plate or blower the handle or grip 12 is lifted, causing the lower section to hang in a suspended position and to fall against the normal inner face of the upper section 1. rlihis arrangement brings the*v lower section exteriorly of the uppersection when `the plate or blower is folded so that the lower section does not interfere with the action of the counterbalancing and shifting bar or inem- .ber 15. The weight of the bar or member 15 causes the folding plate or blower to hug tightly the frame 4 when the blower is arranged in its closed position for use, so that the ydesired draft `maybe obtained through the bottom of the grate in the usual manner. in its swing with relation'to the upper section 1 by butt hinges or other suitable means and is preventedfrom swinging outwardly beyond the plane of the upper section, the counterbalancing and gravity acting bar 15 will operate to hold the lower section, as well as the upper section, in tight engagement with the frame4. Also this manner of connecting the upper and lower sections ofthe plate or blower, the said plate or blower may be 'supported in a projecting horizontal position by a. hook 2O of wire or other suitable material, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3 of the drawings, when it is desired to throw the heat downward. Also, Vthe arrangement of the plate or blower in such extended position, when removing the ashesfrom the grate will, to a large extent, prevent dust from the ashes passing out into the room as such dust will be drawn into the chimneyby the draft thereof. The supporting hook 2O may be secured by a screw eye 21 or other-suitable As the lower section 2 is limited means, to the mantle, board or shelf 22 usually provided over open fire places. Any other supporting means may, of course, be employed for this purpose.

The clamps are provided at their lower portionswith projections'r 23 which are adapted to fill-,the slots or notches 24 provided in the upper section 1 at the upper edge of the `same for the clamps 6. The folding draft plate or blower, which is designed for various kinds of open grates and similar stove structures, is employed'in the usual manner forl closing the space above the grate to yproduce a draft through the bottom of the grate when desired,either in starting a lire or when it is desired `to v cause a fire'to/burn more quickly and when the fire is burning sufficiently `the folding plate or blower is arranged in its folded p0- sition at the top of the fire-place. ."What-'is claimed is: f j

1. A device of the class described,.includ ing spaced clampsy having inclined slots and adapted to be secured at the top of an open grate, said clamps being also provided with inclined bearing slots kor openings, and a plate or blower having a pintle operating in the said bearing slots or openings and adapted to be swung upwardly over the said clamps, said plate or blower being provided with means for causing it to move outwardly in the said slots or openings when it is swung upwardly.

2. A device of the class described, including spaced approximately U-shaped clamps provided at the back with clamping screws and having extensions at the front,said extensions being provided with inclined bearing slots or openings, and a plate or blower provided with a pintle operating inthe bearing slots or openings. 3. A levice of the class described, including spaced clamps 4provided with inclined slots or openings and having depending projections, and a blower or draft platel provided with a pintle to operate in the bearing slots or openings and having slots or recesses at its upper edge to receivel the. said clamps, said projections being adapted to fill the notches or recesses of the plate or blower.

4. A device of the class described, including hinged elements provided with inclined slots or openings, a draft plate or blower having a pintle operating in the slots' or openings, and a counterbalancing and shifting bar or member mounted onthe draft plate or blower at the hinged edge thereof and arranged to force the hinged Ledge of the draft plate or blower outwardly in the inclined slots or openings when the draft plate or blower is swung upwardly.

5. A device of the class described, including spaced hinge elements provided with inclined bearing slots or openings, a draft plate or blower having a ,pintle operating in ber provided with flanges the inclined slots or openings in the said hinge elements, and a counterbalancing and shifting bar or member provided with flanges and fitting between the said hinge elements, said bar or member being adapted t0 force the hinge edgeof the draft plate or blower outwardly when the saine is swung upwardly. l

6. A device of the class described7 including spaced hinge elements having` inclined hearing slots or openings, a draftplate or blower provided with a pintle rod operating in the bearing slotsjor openings, and a counterbalancing and shifting bar or ineinand fitting' between the hinge elements, said flanges being provided at the top with recesses to lit the pintle and having projecting lower portions.

7. A device of the class described, including a draft plate or blower composed of folding `upper provided with a pintle, clamps adapted to engage the frame of an kopen grate at the top thereof and provided with inclined bearing slots or openings receiving the saidk pintle, and an outwardly offsety counterbalancing and shifting bar secured to the upper section of the folding dra-fty plate or blower between the said clamps and arranged to engage the front of an open lire place to cause the pintle of the draft plate or blower t0 move outwardly and upwardly in the inclined slots or openings when the f draft plate or blower is swung` upwardly for folding.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

LLorn HOPKINS. MCKINNEY HOPKINS. 

